LAHORE: Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, former chief justice of Sindh High Court (SHC), on Saturday said that the president of Pakistan enjoys immunity only in criminal matters under Article 248 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Wajih said this while addressing lawyers at the Aiwan-e-Adl on the invitation of newly elected cabinet of the bar.

He said Article 248 does not provide complete immunity to the president of Pakistan as the president has immunity only in criminal matters. He said that if the Supreme Court of Pakistan had dealt with the matters relating to Taj Haider, Sharjeel Memon, Babar Awan and other contempt issues earlier, the situation would have been different today.

He said no doubt they were backing the judiciary but the judiciary could learn through constructive criticism. He demanded of the judiciary to decide the cases as early as possible.

He invited the lawyer community to contest elections from best platform and the doors of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were always open for them. He said that the Quaid-i-Azam, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln were also lawyers and worked for the welfare of the lawyers.